Clif Bar paves its way towards self-sustainability Operations

Twin Falls, Idaho – For many, Clif Bar is a go-to energy bar for the trail or during the workday, but for 295 employee/owners in Twin Falls, Idaho, Clif Bar is much more than a brand on a shelf. Clif Bar was started by Gary Erikson with the goal to make a better tasting bar for sustaining energy. It was formally launched in 1992. Clif developed a business model guided by Five Aspirations: “Sustaining our Business, Brands, People, Community and the Planet.” The company headquarters is located in Emeryville, CA, and currently has manufacturing plants in Indianapolis, IN and Twin Falls, ID.

In 2014, Clif Bar made the decision to go into self- manufacturing to increase its capacity. Until that point, it had never been in control of its own manufacturing operations. Despite its inexperience, however, the energy bar manufacturer successfully went from manufacturing zero to about 75% of its own bars within a one-year span. That statistic is made all the more impressive by the fact that Clif Bar established both a greenfield and a brownfield facility within months of each other.

Using MES to Establish Twin Falls Operating Environment

The road to self-manufacturing began with a greenfield facility in Twin Falls, ID, where Clif Bar operates three lines at any given time, 24 hours a day. Among other technologies, Clif Bar identified two key areas that were requisites for self-manufacturing: the ERP and the MES environment. As its leaders were scoping out the MES systems needed for a highly automated facility, they turned to Wonderware-endorsed system intergrator, Apex Manufacturing Solutions, for assistance.